The present invention relates to messaging systems, and particularly, relates to methods and systems for obtaining and/or providing information for the routing of messages between or among messaging platforms in a messaging system.
In a region-wide messaging (RWM) system, it may be desirable to have more than one messaging platform (voice mail system or server (VMS)) serving subscribers of the RWM system. Multiple messaging platforms in an RWM system may provide quicker service, handle more subscribers, handle a greater geographic area, etc.
Generally, an RWM system includes a directory to provide information with respect to the routing of a message between or among the messaging platforms of the RWM system. Such a directory typically includes a record or an entry for each subscriber of the RWM system. Generally, a subscriber""s, record may include information about the subscriber in the fields of the record. For example, a subscriber""s record may include his or her mailbox address. A mailbox address may be, may be composed of, or may include a directory number or other identifier such as the subscriber""s name, address, and/or personal identification number (PIN), or other code. In addition, the subscriber""s record includes a field with an address for the messaging platform serving the mailbox of the subscriber. With the information from this record, the directory may provide information with respect to the routing of a message addressed to the subscriber""s mailbox address.
For example, assume a subscriber (xe2x80x9cmessaging subscriberxe2x80x9d) creates a message at a first messaging platform (VMS#1). Also assume the subscriber desires the, message to be transmitted so the message is made available for retrieval by a recipient (xe2x80x9creceiving subscriberxe2x80x9d) from his or her mailbox. The message created by the subscriber typically includes the mailbox address of the recipient. But the message, as created by the subscriber, typically does not include the address of the messaging platform serving the recipient (VMS#2). To obtain the address of VMS#2, VMS#1 provides the directory with the mailbox address of the message. In response, the directory provides VMS#1 with the address of VMS#2. VMS#1 then uses the address to route the message to VMS#2 where VMS#2 makes the message available in the recipient""s mailbox.
The use of a single directory to provide information with respect to the routing of a message between or among the messaging platforms of the RWM system may be satisfactory while the number of subscribers in the RWM system is within the capacity of the single directory. But as the number of subscribers exceeds the capacity of the directory, problems are presented.
A first set of problems presented by a directory that has reached its capacity relates to the need for additional capacity for more subscriber records. Is there a way to obtain more capacity for subscriber records without negatively affecting the performance of the RWM system? Is there a way to obtain more capacity for subscriber records that has a positive effect on the performance of the RWM system? One way to obtain capacity in the single directory is to eliminate some of the records or to shorten the records. For example, the records in the directory may be culled for subscribers who are no longer active, for redundant information, and so on. This culling may obtain some capacity in the single directory. But if, records are simply eliminated or shortened without careful consideration to the operations of the RWM system, important information relating to subscribers may be lost, messages may not be correctly or efficiently routed, etc. The result of this inconsiderate culling may be a net gain in capacity, but unfortunately, the gain in capacity may be due to the loss of (dissatisfied) subscribers and their records from the database.
Another way to obtain capacity for subscriber records is to add one or more directories to the RWM system. Yet, the solution of adding one or more directories poses another set of problems. These problems include the determination of the most appropriate organizational scheme for the respective directories with respect to the records included in each directory.
For example, does the original directory retain its records for subscribers, and as new subscribers are added to the RWM system, should records for the new subscribers be added to the new directory? As another example, should records for the subscribers (old and new) be distributed among the directories based on: (1) geographic region served by a directory; (2) messaging platforms served by a directory; (3) concentration of subscribers in particular geographic areas; (4) alphabetic order; (5) all of the above; (6) none of the above; and/or (7) other?
When making a determination as to the organizational scheme for records to be included in the directories of the RWM system, the dynamic nature of messaging systems must be taken into account. For example, the respective assignment of subscribers to messaging platforms may change over time in efforts to load balance the overall RWM system. As another example, the respective assignment of subscribers to messaging platforms may change over time based on movement or other changes instituted by the subscriber. To explain, consider a subscriber who moves from one geographic area of the RWM system to another. With local number portability (LNP), the subscriber may retain his or her directory number, but be served by a different messaging platform of the RWM system. In the case of a subscriber""s mailbox being moved from a messaging platform to a different messaging platform, the record for the subscriber in the directory needs to reflect the change in messaging platform address so that messages for the subscriber are routed correctly and efficiently to the different messaging platform.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems that obtain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory or directories of an RWM system.
There is also a need for methods and systems that obtain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory or directories of an RWM system without negatively affecting the performance of the RWM system.
There is an additional need for methods and systems that obtain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory or directories of an RWM system that positively affect the performance of the RWM system.
There is a further need for methods and systems that obtain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory of an RWM system by shortening or otherwise minimizing the information in the records without negatively affecting the operations of the RWM system.
In addition, there is a need for methods and systems that obtain additional capacity for subscriber records by the addition of one or more directories to the RWM system pursuant to an organizational scheme that takes into account the dynamic nature of messaging systems.
Generally stated, the present inventions relate to systems and methods for routing of a message from a subscriber to a recipient in a messaging system. Exemplary embodiments of the present inventions include a plurality of directories and a network element. Each directory includes a file containing subscriber records. Each record contains fields correlating at least a portion of a subscriber""s mailbox address to the messaging platform serving the subscriber. The network element also includes a file. But the network element""s file is used to determine which directory of the plurality of directories includes records with fields containing data about the messaging platform serving a group of subscribers including a particular subscriber. Data about the messaging platform of a recipient of a message is obtained in a two-action process: (1) the network element is consulted to obtain the identity of the appropriate directory to consult; and (2) the directory (identified by the network element) is consulted to obtain an indicator of the messaging platform serving the recipient of the message.
Advantageously, exemplary embodiments of the present inventions obtain additional capacity for subscriber records in a messaging system in at least two ways: (1) by adding one or more directories to the messaging system pursuant to an organizational scheme that takes into account the dynamic nature of messaging systems; and (2) by efficiently using the capacity of a directory as a result of the organizational scheme.
Contrary to typical directories in messaging systems, the exemplary directories of the messaging system of the present inventions do not include a record for each subscriber of the messaging system. Rather, the records in each of the directories are organized pursuant to a scheme that allows for routing information to be obtained regarding the subscribers of the messaging system without having to have a record for each subscriber.
A network element is used to keep track of and provide information as to which directory in the messaging system is to be consulted to obtain an indicator for a message platform serving a calling line number.
More particularly stated, the organizational scheme of the directories and the network element is based on the elements of a calling line number: NPA-NXX-XXXX. The general-to-less-general or common-to-less-common organizational scheme is based on the left-to-right hierarchy of the elements of the calling line numbers served in the messaging system. The network element makes use of the general aspects of the organizational scheme while the directories make use of the less general aspects.
With respect to the general aspects of the organizational scheme, the network element includes a file that keeps track of which directory of the plurality of directories"" serves which groups or supergroups (or other sizes of groups) of calling line numbers in the messaging system. The network element""s file keeps track based on the hierarchy of the elements of a calling line number. In other words, the records of a network element""s file typically reference the most or more common elements of a calling line number such as an NPA element or an NPA-NXX element. The NPA element may be referred to herein as the area code or area code element. The NPA-NXX element may be referred to as a full exchange description.
The less general aspects of the organizational scheme include the use of a plurality of directories in the messaging system. A directory""s file keeps track of which messaging platform of the plurality of messaging platforms serves which groups or subgroups (or other sizes of groups) of calling line numbers in the messaging system. Like the network element""s file, the directory""s file keeps track based on the left-to-right hierarchy of the elements of a calling line number. But the records of the directory""s file reference the less or least common elements (ranges) of a calling line number such as an NPA-NXX or a NPA-NXX-Xrange.
The left-to-right hierarchy of a calling line number is advantageously used in the exemplary embodiments as the organizational scheme for directories and for the network element for several reasons. An important reason is that typically calling line numbers having common NPA-NXXs and sometimes even having common NPA-NXX-Xranges may be served by the same messaging platform. The inventors have discovered that an efficient use may be made of the capacity of a; directory by having only a single record in a directory or in a network element correspond to a designated hierarchy.
With respect to operation of the systems and methods, a messaging platform in the messaging system interacts with the network element and at least one of the directories to obtain an address for a messaging platform that serves the recipient of a message to be sent through the system. Initially, the messaging platform serving the subscriber who created the message queries the network element. The network element checks its file for a record that contains the appropriate identifier based on at least part of the calling line number of the recipient. If found, the network element provides the messaging platform with the identity of the directory containing the address information about the messaging platform serving the group of subscribers including the recipient.
In response to receiving the identifier from the network element, the messaging platform serving the messaging subscriber then uses the identifier to query the directory. The query is sent to obtain an indicator or other address information for the messaging platform serving the recipient of the message.
In response to the query, the directory 42 uses at least part of the calling line number of the mailbox address of the recipient to find a record including an indicator for the address of the messaging platform serving the recipient. The directory provides the indicator or other information related to the messaging platform serving the messaging subscriber.
In response to receiving the response from the directory, the messaging platform serving the messaging subscriber uses the indicator to transmit the message to the messaging platform serving the recipient. The messaging platform serving the recipient saves the message as appropriate in association with the mailbox for the recipient so that the message may be retrieved by the recipient.
Therefore, it is a feature of the present inventions to provide methods and systems that gain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory or directories of an RWM system.
It is also a feature of the present inventions to provide methods and systems that gain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory or directories of an RWM system without negatively affecting the performance of the RWM system.
It is an additional feature of the present inventions to provide methods and systems that. gain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory or directories of an RWM system that positively effect the performance of the RWM system.
It is a further feature of the present inventions to provide methods and systems that gain additional capacity for subscriber records in a directory of an RWM system by shortening or otherwise minimizing the information in the records without negatively affecting the operations of the RWM system.
In addition, it is a feature of the present inventions to provide methods and systems that gain additional capacity for subscriber records by the addition of one or more directories to the RWM system pursuant to an organizational scheme that takes into account the dynamic nature of messaging systems.